Back in the 1980’s a wonderful animated film came out by the name of Light Years. It didn’t get that much attention but is revered by many today animation experts and sci-fi geeks to this day. It combined the great minds of French animator, Rene Laloux and Isaac Asimov into a visually stunning peace of art that is more relevant today than it was 2o+ years ago.

The movie is wrapped around a riddle that the main character, Sylvain, must answer, “In a thousand years, Gandahar was destroyed, and and all its people massacred. A thousand years ago, Gandahar will be saved, and what can’t be avoided will be.”

The plot is very intense and deals with relevant topics such as war vs. pacifism, the dangers of unchecked scientific experiments and the theory of time travel in relevance to the human mind and soul. It’s stunningly beautiful in artistic expression and just as well written.

The original version was directed by René Laloux, and was based on Jean-Pierre Andrevon‘s novel Les Hommes-machines contre Gandahar (The Machine-Men versus Gandahar). An English version of the epic science fiction film was produced by Harvey Weinstein, and renowned science-fiction legend Isaac Asimov made the revision of the translation from French to English.

It has has beautifully drawn women with a slight tint of blue/purple skin color that are naked for most of the film. It’s a masterpeice that will live on for years. It is well known for it’s strange landscapes yet vaguely familiar creatures as well as menacing “men of metal”. The art is well done and if you like science fiction, you’re going to love this film.

Now if we could only get them to release it on DVD!

But until then, we have Youtube, please see below, the 8 part movie of LIGHT YEARS…

Jean Henri Gaston Giraud has earned worldwide fame as an innovator and creative genius under the pseudonym Moebius. Back in the 1970’s Moebius was involved in the creation of Metal Hurlant.

Arzak was a psychedelic comic of surreal weirdness with a sci-fi meets spaghetti western twist from the 1970’s, created by Moebius for sci-fi/fantasy comics magazine Metal Hurlant. In the United States, Metal Hurlant became, Heavy Metal Magazine.

Rhapsody is designed and directed by Jean Giraud / Moebius and is co-produced with Wolfland Pictures and the Carrere Group . It is an animated comic that is filled with coolness and is a pleasure to watch. If you love sci-fi comics, this will thrill you and utterly confuse you at times but that’s the best part.

Below you will find the entire collection of Rhapsody videos that were posted on YouTube. They are in Spanish, which actually gives it a very cool feel adding to the allure of this timeless classic. This si the kind of nerd stuff I love to share as this comic and Moebius himself are Huge inspirations on me, heavy Metal Magazine and of course, Gates the epic sci-fi comic I create for Heavy Metal Magazine.

As person who was born with the last name Hefner, what can I say except that I LOVE women! It was my destiny to draw and write about hot girls…as well as science fiction when you factor in the first name (Hal) as well. And since I do write and illustrate Gates, Heavy Metal’s first online comic, in my own head all of these delusions of grandeur make me the perfect outsider to rank Marvel’s blistering babes of beauty.

So I took it upon my opinionated self to sit back, relax and rank the hotties of the Marvel Universe. Since the new 52 arrived for DC I have really not payed attention to what is going on there, so it was best that I chose to look at Marvel and their lineup of super sexy hot villains and super heroines. I know them well having grown up with them and in all honesty my loyalties rest more-so with Marvel than DC…even though Marvel supports SOPA. So at this point in time I am boycotting both Marvel and DC comics and my only way to discuss them is through an online beauty pageant.

As for this beauty pageant list of Marvel’s hottest chicks, the qualifications were pretty simple. Hot bodies, hot faces, hot powers and sexiness.

It was a difficult process narrowing down who should be included on this list of Marvel’s beauty queens. However I HAD to make a choice. Unfortunately some of Marvel’s girls had to be left off, like Polaris and Namora to name a couple. And it was a difficult decision ranking these hotties as well.

But I managed to do it…So without further delay, here are my choices for Marvel’s 15 Hottest Women.

15) Psylocke = Betsy Braddock
Purple hair, an amazing body and enchanted by Merlin, imagine the things she could do to a man.

14) Rogue = Anna Marie (full name unknown)
A southern girl with lots of spunk, Rogue is so hot you can’t even touch her…or you’ll get your life sucked out of you.

13) Dagger = Tandy Bowen
The girl is sexy in that whitey tighty outfit and can throw light daggers that do everything from cure drug addiction to forcing people to confront their own demons.

12) Tigra = Greer Nelson
What man would not want to get nasty with a cat woman? Grrrrr

11) Mystique = Raven Darkholme
Blue skin, amazing body and to top it off can shape-shift into anything. She would make an interesting one night stand

10) She-Hulk = Jennifer Walters
Big green and sexy, what man wouldn’t wanted to be dominated by this hot hero?

9) Scarlet Witch = Wanda Maximoff
A crazy sorceress who is into sex with androids. She might make for a fun night that only Clive Barker could dream about.

8 ) Black Widow = Natasha Romanova
Sleek, sexy and dressed in skin tight black leather, this is one Russian babe who could paint your town red very quickly.

7) Ms. Marvel = Carol Danvers
Ms. Marvel is one sexy alcoholic who looks to be a real warrior in the bedroom.

6) Black Cat = Felicia Hardy
She is a sleek and sexy ex-catburgler with a body to die for but Spider Man chose Lindsey Lohan like Mary Jane Watson instead? WTF?

5) Elektra = Elektra Natchios
Elektra is one Greek Goddess Assassin who can rock your world with her ass kicking moves.

4) Storm = Ororo Munro
An African priestess with a bangin’ body, a beautiful booty, white hair and can rock a mohawk better than Grace Jones, Storm is a “thunderous” babe.

3) Phoenix = Jean Grey
As Marvel Girl, Jean Grey was cute. But as Phoenix she was diabolically delicious, especially the darker she got.

1) The White Queen = Emma Frost
Emma frost is as sexy and sultry as any comic book seductress can get. Her cold chill cannot does nothing to defrost her hotness. Her inner battle with good and evil only makes her hotter.

All characters are Copyright of the Marvel Universe. Their images and information are found on the official Marvel Web Page, that has character bios and anything and everything you desire to know about the Marvel Universe.

Thank you Marvel for creating these hot babes! BUT I’m very disappointed in YOU for supporting SOPA. Maybe if you were a little quicker at embracing understanding and innovating the digital space, you wouldn’t have to support SOPA. Blame yourself not others.

Giorgio Tsoukalos has arisen to mythical status with his participation on the show Ancient Aliens, that is produced by and airs on the History Channel. Currently in production is the much awaited Season 4 of the show, Ancient Aliens. Giorgio Tsoukalos is again starring as an ancient theoritical expert discussing his ideas on Gods, human history and the possibilities of extra terrestrial or advanced species intervention with our past.

Tsoukalos is a pretty fun guy who sports a wonderful quaff of hair and tends to look very tanned. With the popularity of Ancient Aliens and the fun demeanor of Giorgio Tsoukalos, we decided to have a little fun with a promotional video for the comic book, Gates. In August we launched a soundtrack of up and coming bands from multiple genres, to accompany the comic book. This soundtrack is dedicated to the Ronnie James Dio, Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. 100% of the proceeds are dedicated to this cause. And in October of 2011, we created a fun video, spoofing Giorgio Tsoukalos and Ancient Aliens in an effort to have some fun with a dark subject such as cancer and in hopes, to promote the soundtrack so we can donate a ton of money in the name of Ronnie James Dio, Hal Hefner, Gates the comic book and Heavy Metal Magazine.

It made sense to utilize this show and this man because Gates has some ancient alien theories that for the foundation of some of its themes, such as the Vril and the underground society of Vril.

Please enjoy the video below and share it. Please share it with Giorgio himself as he has yet to notice it and or recognize it. His and your support would make a HUGE difference for a great cause.

As the writer, creator, designer, HTML editor, production artist, letterer, article writer and all around one stop shop creative whackjob and brain trust behind the Gates, science fiction comic, presented by Heavy Metal Magazine…I humbly do a Kung Fu bow to you all.

Thank you to all of my new, wonderful friends I have met this year who have become fans and supported Gates on social networks, the official website and so much more.

Thank you to all of my old friends who saw this coming and helped me in so many ways spiritually, emotionally, physically and more.

Thank you to my family and friends that are as close as family (you know who you are), without you guys, I’d be in big trouble.

Thank you to everyone who has given me hand here and there to help with little intricacies of Gates such as marketing, production, web dev, moral support and more. You guys rock!

Thank you to all of the bands and musical talents that participated in Volume 1 of the Gates soundtrack.

Thank you to everyone who has ever doubted me, dissed more or told me I couldn’t do something. You all fuel the fire in my belly.

I am very grateful for all of you. Thank you. Cheers to you in 2012~

A RECAP OF GATES THE SCIENCE FICTION COMIC BOOK IN 2011

Then the first 5 pages, popped up online! The negative Dystopian science fiction comic book was born! Heavy Metal Magazine then had its first online comic book, and history was made. Every Tuesday of every week a new page of Gates has been added to the website.

In May we created a fun video that serves as back-story juiciness involving the ConGenement, the villainous oppressors of our main character Gates.

THE SOUNDTRACK TO BENEFIT THE RONNIE JAMES DIO STAND UP AND SHOUT CANCER FUND FOR GATES THE COMIC BOOK

In August we launched a soundtrack to the comic that is available for download on iTunes and AmazonMP3, benefiting the Ronnie James Dio “Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund.” This soundtrack was created to memorialize Dio for his contribution to the original 1981 Heavy Metal Movie, while in the band Black Sabbath, in the last and most epic short form the movie, Taarna. The song the Mob Rules will forever inspire Heavy Metal Magazine artists forever!

And in the summer, in support of the Gates soundtrack to support the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, your fun and self mocking creator, ME (Hal Hefner) dressed up as Girogio Tsoukalos, the Ancient Aliens TV show star from the History Channel, and ancient astronaut theorist. Know for his over inflated locks of hair and his passionately delivered speeches, we had a little fun with him, his theories and…his hair and orange skin.

THE ART, DESIGN and MESSAGE OF GATES: “FIGHT THE POWER AND QUESTION AUTHORITY – THINK FOR YOURSELF”

And Gates, continued to chug along…New Page after new page. Here are a few of my personal favorite pages from the year, from the science fiction webcomic, Gates.